Rat Brain Cells Produce Art

US and Austrailian researchers have put rat cells in a glass dish which
controls
three markers to
produce art! The little cyborg named
MEART (an acronym for multi-electrode array art) is a "The semi
living artist" cybernetic organism that creates art of the
quality of that a kin to 3 year old but art nontheless. The rat brain
cells are
kept on a glass slide in some goo that keeps them alive and are
connected to a robot
arm via electrodes that allows the cells to draw with three colored
markers and to see
the art it's making. Researchers are hoping that the neuron cells will
show some evidence of learning. There's no eraser for the rat brain
cells so if
it makes a mistake,
perhaps it would exclaim, "rats!" The robot will be one of the
participants of the Artbots Robotic Talent Show in New York.